Star Wars, the Photo Exhibit: The Droids Do Dubai

Has there ever been a movie franchise as manipulated, appropriated or extrapolated as Star Wars? The spin-offs and spoofs seem to come by the hour now.

Yet some fans are still coming up with incredible, ingenious ways to pay tribute to their favorite films. The latest case in point: Photographer Cedric Delsaux who took an uber-realist approach to the likes of Darth Vader and Boba Fett. Embracing the modern architecture of Dubai, he blends this wannabe-futuristic cityscape with one of Hollywood’s boldest visions of a futuristic galaxy. I can’t tell if it’s just a gimmick or if it’s a rather daring means of blending architectural aspirations with sci-fi prophecy, but these pictures are pretty damn cool. Fiction and reality meet, in high-def. I think this might be favorite snapshot:

What intrigues me most is that these images suggest perhaps a different side of the Star Wars universe – a vision for what downtime must have been like in this galaxy so far, far away. Notice that almost none of these are action shots. Jabba the Hut, parking his car. A couple of drones, catching a cigarette while leaning on a car. The Emperor, taking up residence in the abandoned city.

Maybe it’s all just a publicity stunt – in which case, mission accomplished – but these shots are so well composed, and so seamless in blending fantasy with reality, that I was absolutely hooked. You should click through the entire gallery.